who to trade??? Sam or Evander

[Mustache of God]

Expanding on that, our supposed #1 line, when healthy, has been Okposo, ROR, and some 4th liner anchoring it down (Bailey, Carrier, etc). How about Okposo, Eichel - ROR? and then fill out the other lines with Sam at 2C? I think our biggest problem this year is our "#1" line was never an actual threat. I blame that on Bylsma.

[Sabel79]

Reinhart is easier to replace than Kane? How? Tank 3.0?

There are other centers. Not Sam quality, but, of course, Sam can't get into the lineup at center right now.

[darksabre]

Because I'm not going to trade a Thornton away to keep a coach who won't make it past next year. Kane and Byslma have expiration dates

 

It's got nothing to do with coaches. I just want to know where Reinhart is playing on this team in the long term. Is he playing center or not? 

[WildCard]

It's got nothing to do with coaches. I just want to know where Reinhart is playing on this team in the long term. Is he playing center or not?

Yes. 2nd line center

There are other centers. Not Sam quality, but, of course, Sam can't get into the lineup at center right now.

Keep good centers, replace good wingers. That's what winning teams do

[qwksndmonster]

Trade Kane. We can keep Sam longer.

[darksabre]

Yes. 2nd line center

Keep good centers, replace good wingers. That's what winning teams do

So who are we trading to fit Sam in on the 2nd line? 

[TrueBlueGED]

Right. I don't want to trade Sam, but I'm trying to figure out where he slots on this team going forward if we already have Eichel and ROR in the top two slots. Is Sam really going to play 3rd line C here?

Absolutely. If you run a center spine of O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, it's almost impossible to match up against. The other coach is going to use his best defensive line and Dmen against Eichel, ours is going to match O'Reilly against their top line, and that is going to leave Reinhart with a tremendous matchup advantage against almost every team in the league. And if Reinhart fulfills his promise defensively, then we can match either his line or O'Reilly's against the other team's top unit--even the best coach can't get his top line away from two matchup lines.

[Sabel79]

Yes. 2nd line centerKeep good centers, replace good wingers. That's what winning teams do

But Sam's not playing center. Likely won't as things stand.

 

Edit: not that I endorse this.

Edited April 7, 2017 by Sabres79

[qwksndmonster]

Absolutely. If you run a center spine of O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, it's almost impossible to match up against. The other coach is going to use his best defensive line and Dmen against Eichel, ours is going to match O'Reilly against their top line, and that is going to leave Reinhart with a tremendous matchup advantage against almost every team in the league. And if Reinhart fulfills his promise defensively, then we can match either his line or O'Reilly's against the other team's top unit--even the best coach can't get his top line away from two matchup lines.

And, like, a competent coach could switch between running them as centers and putting O'Reilly at wing to suit the matchup.

 

Man, it'll be nice when our coach isn't just cluelessly throwing any old lines out every night.

[WildCard]

But Sam's not playing center. Likely won't as things stand.

 

Edit: not that I endorse this.

Stop thinking of Byslma as our head coach

And, like, a competent coach could switch between running them as centers and putting O'Reilly at wing to suit the matchup.

 

Man, it'll be nice when our coach isn't just cluelessly throwing any old lines out every night.

To answer your question d4rk, this. Either have RoR as wing with Jack or have 3 centers

[Sabel79]

Also, late for meetings...

[TrueBlueGED]

Also, late for meetings...

Yea, but Kane misses them entirely :p

[Sabel79]

Touché

[Georgia Blizzard]

3 quality centers = 3 quality lines

 

Enough of this nonsense

[MattPie]

Put me down for either than "run 3 lines with Sam" or "put ROR as #1 or #2 LW" options. Trade Kane if you can't sign him. I'd prefer to see this team as a top-9 that can score and varying levels of D, but Bylsma needs two lines of grinders for his system so were stuck with top-6 and bottom-6. (Another reason it's pretty unlikely I'm not renewing GameCenter if he's back in October)

[French Collection]

I think they need to try Sam at centre to see what he can do at this level. Put Jim in at 3C and still use him on the # 1 PP unit because he is a top six forward.

Three lines that provide offense is tough to defend, worked for the Pens last year.

[WildCard]

I'm much more interested in the Larsson vs Girgs debate

[TrueBlueGED]

I'm much more interested in the Larsson vs Girgs debate

I see no compelling reason to choose between them. Larsson centers the 4th line, Girgensons goes to wing. They both have flexibility to PK and move up the lineup when injuries hit.

[darksabre]

Absolutely. If you run a center spine of O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, it's almost impossible to match up against. The other coach is going to use his best defensive line and Dmen against Eichel, ours is going to match O'Reilly against their top line, and that is going to leave Reinhart with a tremendous matchup advantage against almost every team in the league. And if Reinhart fulfills his promise defensively, then we can match either his line or O'Reilly's against the other team's top unit--even the best coach can't get his top line away from two matchup lines.

Is this an option we can afford? Eichel and Reinhart are both going to want to get paid. How much cap can we tie up in centers? 

 

That said, I'm fine with taking the Rangers approach of just making it work. But if we're going to do that, Sam better goddamn be playing center! 

[jsb]

Absolutely. If you run a center spine of O'Reilly, Eichel, and Reinhart, it's almost impossible to match up against. The other coach is going to use his best defensive line and Dmen against Eichel, ours is going to match O'Reilly against their top line, and that is going to leave Reinhart with a tremendous matchup advantage against almost every team in the league. And if Reinhart fulfills his promise defensively, then we can match either his line or O'Reilly's against the other team's top unit--even the best coach can't get his top line away from two matchup lines.

Problem with that is what scoring wingers do you put in??? Besides Okposo and Kane, we don't have any and if you trade Kane for a Dman you just dropped that total in half. 

Your scenario sounds great in EA Sports but in reality there is no-one on our roster that isn't old and/or hasn't proven anything at this level yet, that you can depend on to put up points. 

[TrueBlueGED]

Is this an option we can afford? Eichel and Reinhart are both going to want to get paid. How much cap can we tie up in centers?

 

That said, I'm fine with taking the Rangers approach of just making it work. But if we're going to do that, Sam better goddamn be playing center!

With all three at center, you save money on the wings. Let our centers elevate the play of our wingers. At the very least, both Eichel and O'Reilly have proven they can do this, and I think most of us agree Samson has the capability to do the same.

Problem with that is what scoring wingers do you put in??? Besides Okposo and Kane, we don't have any and if you trade Kane for a Dman you just dropped that total in half.

Your scenario sounds great in EA Sports but in reality there is no-one on our roster that isn't old and/or hasn't proven anything at this level yet, that you can depend on to put up points.

High end centers manufacture scoring wingers. We don't need six Okposo-level players to flank these guys.

[jsb]

With all three at center, you save money on the wings. Let our centers elevate the play of our wingers. At the very least, both Eichel and O'Reilly have proven they can do this, and I think most of us agree Samson has the capability to do the same.

 

High end centers manufacture scoring wingers. We don't need six Okposo-level players to flank these guys.

Again I disagree by saying when ROR is at his best he is dominating play, when Jack is playing well he is dominating play, please give me a game not when Sam played well but when he Dominated Play. I can't think of one, he's not that type of player.

[dudacek]

Is this an option we can afford? Eichel and Reinhart are both going to want to get paid. How much cap can we tie up in centers?

That said, I'm fine with taking the Rangers approach of just making it work. But if we're going to do that, Sam better goddamn be playing center!

 

 

This season is all about signing Sam to a long-term wingers contract ($5 million per over seven like Kane got) then switching him to centre to get $7 million per value out of him. Because the Sabres are way more Machiavellian than we think. ????

 

Again I disagree by saying when ROR is at his best he is dominating play, when Jack is playing well he is dominating play, please give me a game not when Sam played well but when he Dominated Play. I can't think of one, he's not that type of player.

Sam's not Jack. He ain't got the flash.

How often have you seen the likes of Patrice Bergeron or Hampus Lindholm Dominating Play?

Edited April 7, 2017 by dudacek

[mjd1001]

I don't want to trade either. However, I WOULD trade EITHER If it looks like one of them can't be resigned to a long term extension OR that long term extension is going to be VERY expensive compared to what they give you (Like if Reinhart insists on getting within $1 of McDavid/Eichel Money, or if Kane is looking to be paid 'top 20' money (he's top 50-60 MAYBE, not top 20 at all)

[IKnowPhysics]

We tanked an entire year and ate a sandwich for 82 games for Sam Reinhart. He's on his ELC and will be a RFA.  He's not a buffoon off the ice.  He's 3rd on the team in points this year.  He was 3rd on the team in points last year (his rookie year).

 

If you call Myers for Bogosian and Kasdorf even up, we traded a house -Stafford, Armia, Lemieux, and 25th overall pick (Jack Roslovic), three former first rounders and an actual first rounder- for Evander Kane.  What did that buy you?  Bar time shenanigans.  Oh, and a top line winger who's on pace for 32 goals on an 82 game season, hypothetically good enough to finish in the league's top 20 in scoring.  He led the team in goals per game last season too, on pace for 25 goals in 82 games. And these goals don't come easy.  Despite the fact we have the #1 powerplay, 24 of 27 of Kane's goals this season have come at even strength.  The next highest even strength scorer on the team is Eichel with 14 goals.  If you take away Kane's 27 goals, the Sabres drop to 29th in the league in goals for.  If you take away Kane's 24 even strength goals, the Sabres drop to dead last in even strength goals for, and it's not even close.  By the way, those four other guys: Stafford has scored 8 goals this season; Armia 10; Lemieux is dicking around in Manitoba with 19 points in 61 AHL games; and the jury's still out on Roslovic, who's shown some young promise.  People think we need another Danny Briere trade in order to catapult the team.  This was that trade.

 

Don't trade either.

 

But asset management is asset management.  If Kane doesn't resign this offseason, he gets moved.